Hand-guard.



E. E. BARTRAM.

HAND GUARD. APPLICATION FILED AUG-29. 1911.

Patented Mar. 25,1919.

w W m EDWARD ELLSWORTH BARTRAM, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

HAND-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lIitl'. 25, 1919.

Application filed August 29, 1917. Serial No. 188,794.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD ELLswoRtrH BARTRAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for confining. the hands of children to prevent them from sucking the thumbs or fingers, and likewise to prevent the hands coming in contact with the body of patients having skin diseases or the like, and likewise to prevent the patient from disturbing bandages and dressingsjn surgical cases, and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed device which incloses the whole hand of the child or patient leaving the hands free to be moved about within the improved device but effectually preventing the insertion of the thumb or fingers into the mouth, or otherwise using the hand externally of the device.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims; and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the improved devices;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the wrist inclosing portion of the device.

The improved device includes a cap or closure represented as a whole at 10, of wire netting of relatively large mesh, but sutliciently close to prevent the passage of the fingers of a child. The open side of the cap is reduced in diameter and an endless binding member 11, preferably elliptical, is connected to the open reduced side of the cap by bending the individual members of the netting around the binder, as illustrated at 12, and soldering or otherwise securing the bends to the binder if required. The binder member 11 will be just large enough to permit the passage of the hand of a child, and the device will preferably be provided with a suitable binding fabric of soft material, represented at 13, to prevent the wrist of the child from coming in contact with the metal portion of the device. The bends or eyes 12 form a bead like construction, and

the hollow portion between the body of the device and the eyes Will be utilized to receive a band of ribbon or like material represented at 14, by which the device may be tied to the wrist of the child. By making the body portion of the device relatively large the hand of the child is left free for movement in all directions, while at the same time the child will be unable to place the fingers in the mouth and thus be prevented from sucking the thumb or fingers during the nursing period, or from movingthe hand in contact with the parts of the body when under treatment for skin or other diseases or from disturbing wrappings or dressings in surgical cases.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured of any suitable material and made in any required size, to adapt it to hands of various sizes. The wire employed for constructing the improved device will preferably be of aluminum or like metal, but may be constructed of any suitable material.

The device may be readily cleansed and thus rendered sanitary and harmless and thereby prevent contagion.

The band 15 is relatively wide, as shown, and not only serves to reinforce the wire strands and hold the globular body in its original shape, but also serves to receive the impact of any blow imparted to the guard incident to the childs striking said guard against a bed, chair or other object and thus prevents denting or otherwise destroying the shape of the guard.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a substantially globular body formed of woven wire and provided with a handreceiving opening and a relatively wide reinforcing band extending circumferentially around the globular body at approximately the center thereof.

2. A device of the class described com prising a substantially globular body portion formed of woven wire and provided with a substantially elliptical shaped handreceiving opening, a yieldable binding element engaging the walls of the globular body at the hand-receiving opening, and a relatively wide reinforcing band extending circumferentially around the globular body at approximately the center thereof.

3. A device of the class described comprising a substantially globular body formed of Woven Wire and provided with a handreceiving opening, a binding strip of soft material covering the Walls of the opening in the body, a flexible attaching element threaded between the Wires constituting the globular body at a point adjacent the opening thereinand a relatively Wide reinforcing band extending circumferentially around the globular body at approximately the center thereof.

4. A device of the class described comprising a globular body formed of Woven Wire and provided with a substantially elliptical shaped hand-receiving opening, a binding element of relatively soft material surrounding the Walls of the opening in the body, a relatively Wide reinforcing band extending circumferentially around the exterior of the body at approximately the center thereof, and a flexible attaching element threaded between the Wires constituting the body and bearing against the binding element.

In testlmony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD ELLSWORTH BARTRAM. a s] Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

